Amnesty International released a report on China's arms exports
on June 12, charging that the nation sells large quantities of
weapons to Myanmar, Nepal, Sudan and Africa's Great Lakes region,
which has allegedly led to tension and humanitarian disasters in
these areas.
These charges are unfounded and reckless, as China strictly
follows relevant international agreements and codes involving the
transfer of military hardware and technology and is highly
self-disciplined in this regard, says Teng Jianqun, a researcher
from the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association.
The arms trade is one of the most lucrative businesses in the
world. It is also an important way in which many countries gain
economic benefits and assure the survival and development of their
defence industries. It is only natural that any country able to
produce and export arms will try to obtain the largest possible
share of the arms market, according to Teng.
China actually has a very small share of the global arms market
compared with other big countries. According to statistics from the
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia sold
US$26.925 billion worth of conventional weapons between 2000 and
2004, the United States sold US$25.93 billion and China sold just
US$1.436 billion.
In 1991, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution
on the registration of conventional arms. This registration shows
that the amount of conventional weapons sold by China pales in
comparison with those from the United States, Russia, the United
Kingdom, France and Germany.
China follows three principles in this regard. First, arms sales
should help raise the recipient's ability to defend itself. Second,
such sales should not harm regional or global peace, security and
stability. Third, arms sales should not be used as a tool to
interfere in the internal affairs of any sovereign state, says
Teng.
China has worked out a package of laws, regulations and rules to
strictly control the production, storage, transportation, trade and
use of small arms, according to Teng.
Exports of various kinds of conventional weapons, including
small arms, are subject to the Regulation on the Management of
Export of Military Products. Those who violate the regulation are
brought to justice.
Amnesty International's report says that some Chinese arms
manufacturers ignore the government's laws and regulations, selling
large quantities of arms overseas for a profit.
This is pure conjecture. In China, every stage in the production
and sale of small arms is recorded in great detail. These records
are filed for long-time storage. Many companies have established
specialized computerized management systems in this regard,
according to Teng.
In addition, China has introduced a system monitoring the end
users of Chinese-made weapons to prevent the arms from finding
their way via a third party to hot spots and sensitive regions
around the world. The placards of Chinese-made small arms offer
information about the types, manufacturers' code names, batch
numbers and production dates.
Moreover, the country is considering improving the placard
system to make Chinese-made small arms easier to recognize,
according to Teng.
China's self-discipline and strict management have won
appreciation from the international community. The United Nations
Workshop on Small Arms and Light Weapons was held in Beijing in
April 2005. At China's initiative, all participating parties agreed
that the countries should strengthen their co-operation in
controlling small arms' proliferation and smuggling.
Overall, the principles and practices China follows in the
transfer of military hardware facilitate the maintenance of the
world peace and regional stability and promote the cause of arms
control and disarmament, Teng concludes.
(China Daily June 22, 2006)